


Emerald Potter

by sillywriter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drama, Family, Family Drama, Gen, OC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-20
Updated: 2014-08-31
Packaged: 2018-01-11 18:28:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1176413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sillywriter/pseuds/sillywriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if the Potters had survived that fateful Halloween? What if Harry had an older sister? What if she was to be a whole lot different than her family? What if...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

***** Lily's POV ****

 

My head was throbbing. My body was aching. The smell of burnt wood and the sharp air of winter filled the air. Everything was entirely quiet. Too quiet. There was no sound at all other than my own heavy breathing and the cracking of a fire far,far away. Suddenly there was a baby's cry, making my eyes snap open. Harry!  
I was lying on the floor in Harry's bedroom. The roof had been blasted off, and everything lay in ruins around me. It was pitch dark, so I could barely make out the tiny form of my baby boy on the other side of the room. I tried getting up, but my limbs were so heavy. It didn't help that I was completely covered in wood. The minutes passed, and I struggeled against my own body to get up. In the end I managed to drag myself over to the crib where Harry was. All I can say was that I was really shocked when I got my eyes on him. On Harry's forhead was a bright, red lightning bolt scar. Harry started to cry when he got his eyes on me, letting me know that he was really scared and confused.

"Oh, love, shush. It's alright. Mommy's here."

I lifted my baby boy out of the crib and onto my lap, slowly letting my hand caress his face. It wasn't long after that that the panic started to set in. How were I even alive? Voldemort had killed me, hadn't he? Where was he anyway? How was Harry alive? And what about... JAMES?!

"James? James! James!?"

Second by second the hysteria was growing. Had James survived? I took Harry up into my arms and almost ran over to the door. I already saw that it would be jammed, but I felt my head spinning more and more, making me even dizzier. After a while I gave up with the yelling, and started to just bang at the door with all my strenght, hoping and praying for a sign. Anything.

"James!? Please, is anybody there?"

I let myself sink onto the floor, the tears following closly behind. I really wanted to pull myself together seeing that Harry looked more confused than ever now. I so wanted to just hug him tightly and tell him that everything was going to be alright, but I couldn't. I couldn't even tell myself that, so why should I tell him?

"Lily? Lily!" I could hear a bunch of loud noises from downstairs, and someone hurrying up the stairs. At last there was someone banging at the door from the other side.

"Hello?" I yelped with all my might. I hurried back to my feet and stopped to listen at the door, pressing my ear against it.

"Lily?" The voice sounded desperate. "Lily, it's James. Are you alright? Is Harry -" he stopped, probably imagining the worst.

"We're alright! Both alive and breathing." I answered. Once again I tried to force the door open, without success. "James? The door is jammed, I can't get it open. And I can't find my wand anywhere. We need to get to Dumbledore."

*30 MINUTES LATER*

If it hadn't been for James's warm, comforting hand I would probably have fainted. That happy memory of a couple of hours back seemed so far off. It felt like years ago. Harry was asleep in my arms now. It was in the middle of the night after all, waaay past his bedtime.  
The quick pace from Hogsmead to Dumbledore's office had been never ending. Several times I would look over at James and see the same horrified and tense look that I probably had. On the same time, I couldn't help but let my eyes wonder over my own body and his. We looked like zombies. Like dead people rising from the grave.  
We reached Dumbledore's office in the end, me thanking god that we knew the password. James was just about to open the door, when we heard several voices coming from within the room. I swear that I was close to the breaking point when I heard what they were talking about.

"They can't be! No. Never! You're lying! Sirius would never betray them like that. He and James were inseperable!"

"Remus, listen to the facts -"

"No! You listen. IT. IS. IMPOSSIBLE!"

It shocked me what we heard after that. Lots of creaking and then, sudddenly, the sound of glass objects being broken. As long as I had known Remus, I had never heard or seen him snap before. He had always been so calm. Even calmer than Dumbledore himself. His broken voice and his reaction completely broke my heart.

"Remus, calm down for gods sake!" Moody snapped at him.

"What Alastor here is trying to tell you is that there is so much more. You see, Mr. Black didn't only betray the Potters. He went after and blew up Mr. Pettigrew, too, together with the 13 muggle witnesses."

The silence that followed was the worst kind of silence there could possibly be. The breaking and hopeless kind of silence. James, of course, never handeled this kinds of situations very well, and made this the moment of our entry.

"Remus is right. Sirius didn't betray us. Peter did. We swapped Secret-Keeper without telling any of you. We thought we'd be safer that way." James was walking into the room with confidence, if he was oblivious to the looks the people of the room gave him or if he just chose to ignore them, I didn't know. I kept more to the background.

All eyes were on James as he continued to explain the swapping between Sirius and Peter, except one pair. Albus Dumbledore was staring at me, and most importantly, my dear little baby boy who was sleeping in my arms. Once again all the questions came to me. How, why, what for, where was he?  
My emerald eyes scanned the crowd. Dumbledore, Moody, Remus, Frank and Alice, two aurors that I didn't know the name of and a healer.

"What happened, Dumbledore? How are me and James even alive? How is Harry alive? Where is Voldemort?"

I could feel all eyes on me again. For the first time I were able to see Remus' teary face. I pitied him more and more. If it had been under any other circumstances I probably would've hugged him thightly. But not tonight. Not yet.

"Voldemort is gone. We believe that Harry defeated him. Scars like that only appear when really dark and powerful magic have been involved, but backfired. But to how any of you are alive, I have not the slightest idea."

Relief filled me. Voldemort was gone. Harry had defeated him. My little, baby boy had defeated the most evil wizard of all time. Steadily I felt the colour getting back to my face. James even smiled. Still, the air around us were still not comfortable. The only people looking at least the slightest bit relieved was me and James.

"There is more?" James asked the dreaded question the two of us were thinking. My heart was speeding again, racing like a snitch.

"Sirius have been sent to Azkaban. No trial, seeing that the evidence were too bullet proof." Remus commented.

James and I both had the same reaction, none of us really wanting to believe him. The two of us screamed: "What?!", pleading that this wasn't the truth. It was worse for James than it was for me, though. Sirius was James' other half. They were bestfriends. Brothers.

"There is more." Dumbledore voiced calmly. "Lily, I advice that you sit down."

Dread filled me for the hundredth time that night. What could possibly be worse than what we had just endured?

"We just got a message that Death Eaters are attacking St. Mungo's."

My head was spinning.

"And?" I managed to choke out.

"We sent a couple of people down there. I think we all know who they're looking for. They made it quite clear."

I couldn't look at him anymore. James got over to me and hugged me tightly. A single tear managed to escape my eye. What had happened?

"A-and?" My voice wouldn't keep steady anymore.

"We haven't heard anything after we sent them down there."

 

*1 HOUR LATER*

 

St. Mungo's was in ruins. At least the eastern part. I hadn't been able to stop crying since Dumbledore told me. What if something had happened to her? What if they had killed her?  
All around the hallways lay both dead and injured patients and employees. I couldn't look at them. It would only end up in me starting to imagine it was her. Dumbledore would stop every now and again to get a word with a healer or two. Usually I would be very patient with the old headmaster, but not tonight. Too much were at risk.  
One of the healers sent us in the right direction, and I quickly recognized it. At least I knew where we were heading. Remus had stayed behind at Hogwarts to watch over Harry. I saw the door to the room she had stayed in, and with every step I felt a bigger need to vomit. What if something had happended to her?  
Dumbledore opened the door for me and James to walk through. What met me was the last thing I was expecting to see. I could feel James stiffen beside me, his face growing cold. On the other side of the room sat Severus Snape, a tiny, sleeping form on his lap.

"Who's idea was this?!" James almost screamed at the healers in the room. He looked like he could've killed someone. For a moment, I actually thought he would.

Several of the healers looked startled and shocked by his reaction, and others tried to tell him, but got too intimidated by James to do so. At last, one of the elders came over to us to give us an answer.

"The girl wouldn't stop screaming. We all tried to calm her down, but she would only start to kick and bite us. He was the only person that managed to calm her down."

I looked over at the two of them. She looked so comfortable in his arms. Safe almost. I never would've thought that. Our daughter, 3 year old Emerald Lily Potter, finding a safe spot in the lap of Severus Snape.


	2. Chapter 2

Faintly I could hear mom making breakfast downstairs. Harry was outside playing with Sirius and Remus, Selena and Emily was downstairs playing with their dolls and Daniel was in the bathtube, dad probably washing him. I looked myself in the mirror. Rapidly I started to brush through my thick, black hair. I was really glad that I had gotten mom's hair type, instead of dad's like all my other siblings. I found it easier being a girl with tameable hair, thank you very much. The time was 9:30 AM, and I was running out of time. I only had one hour before I would be leaving for the platform. I was finally starting at Hogwarts today. I couldn't wait!

"Emerald? Breakfast!" Mom called out from downstairs.

Quickly I got up from my spot by the drawer and started to head downstairs. I was only halfway down the ladder to the second floor, when I noticed the smell of pancakes in the air. I couldn't help but smile broadly to myself. I really loved pancakes!

"Good morning, love."

"Morning, mom." I responded just as I sat down.

Emily and Selena was already eating, arguing with each other who got the largest pancake. Selena was 7 and Emily was 6, but many found it hard to tell the difference between the two of them. I couldn't blame them. Sometimes they acted like twins, and it didn't help that they looked so dangerously similar too! As I was about to take the first bite off my own breakfast Remus, Sirius and Harry came running through the door, the latter completely covered in mud. They had one broom each, so I assumed that they had been playing Quidditch over by the woods. Remus came over and sat down to my left, while the other two recieved a very dirty look from mom, which made them at least take off their shoes. I ended up sitting in between Sirius and my godfather.

"So, little duckling, starting at Hogwarts today, eh?" Sirius commented after he had started on his 3rd pancake. His mouth full of food as he spoke.

"Mhm." I swallowed. "And stop calling me that! I'm not so small anymore!"

"Whatever you say, little duckling." I send Sirius my best icy glare, which only made him smirk.

I sat there glaring at Sirius till dad and Daniel appeared. It didn't even surprise any of us that dad was wet from top to toe. It happened close to every time he bathed Daniel.  
When 10:30 started to crawl upon me, I headed upstairs to check that I had gotten everything packed. I really wanted to avoid the embarrassing letter home, telling my parents that I had left something behind. The suitcase was so packed that I almost couldn't lift it. The worst part, according to Sirius, was that most of the content were books. I didn't see anything wrong with that. When we had been in Diagon Ally I had managed to make my parents agree with me on the subject that I needed more books. I had finished them all by now, except three of them that mom had hidden away. She wanted me to have something to do while at Hogwarts. After going through the list of things I was supposed to pack for the 2nd time, I noted that everything was ready. I took one deep breath as I grabbed the top of the suitcase. How was I supposed to get this bloody thing down the ladder and stairs? When I was about to lift it I took one last look into the mirror. What met me was a pair of huge, astonished, emerald eyes and a thin, little girl. Several of mom's friends thought that I was being underfed, but I really was just this thin and bony by nature. It took some time, but I managed to drag the suitcase all the way down the hallway and down the stairs without asking for help or losing it. Straight away mom began fuzzing over me, which only made me blush. We were getting to the platform the wizarding way, even though mom was very much against it. We would be apparating to an ally just a block away from the station and walk from there. I found it a lot less complicated. It would only take us a few minuted to get there.  
The fresh, London air was like honey to my lungs. One could basically taste the end of summer in the air. It was 10:45 when we entered platform 9 3/4, giving my family a bit too long time to say their goodbyes. At 10:50 I boarded the train, quickly I finding an empty compartment to put my suitcase into, Sirius and dad insisting on helping me this time. "Sweetheart, come here." Mom said weakly.

"It's time to say goodbye." Never before had I seen mom this tearful. As she hugged me tight I could feel the pressure of tears behind my eyes myself. Softly mom sobbed onto my shoulder, until dad had to pull her away from me and comfort her. "My baby girl, all grown up, already going to Hogwarts. Where on earth did the time go? When did we become so old, James?"

"Lily! Relax! She'll be home for Christmas." Dad tried to comfort mom, all the while he was smirking at me. "Then she'll be able to tell us how she kicked some Slytherin ass at school."

"Language, James!"

"Sorry, love. Then she'll tell us how she kicked some Slytherin _arse_." Dad and Sirius gave each other high fives, recieving a death glare from both mom and Remus.

God, they were so immature! I couldn't help but laugh at how childish and immature they were being, even though it annoyed me to no end.

"Just behave, have fun, make friends. Be yourself and everything will be fine." Remus must've seen how my nerves was starting to take control of me, since he smiled and patted my shoulder lightly.

I tried putting up a brave face, but in reality I was terrified! I felt like throwing up! Everyone was so sure that I would be a Gryffindor, but what if I weren't? What if I ended up in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff? Or even Slytherin, the house that dad and Sirius hated more than anything? I was afraid that I wouldn't be the perfect daughter they wanted anymore.

 

***A couple of hours later ***

 

I could feel my whole body shaking. Even my teeth were chatting lightly. All I hoped for was that the people around me wouldn't notice too much. I was in the middle of the crowd of 1st years, just about to get Sorted. I couldn't see anything in front of me because of some taller boys up front. I knew there was a hat there. I knew that it was singing. I knew that the teacher's table were up there in front of us. I just couldn't bloody see it! When the Sorting started my brain seemed to zone all the way out. Even as I tried to focus on the names and what house they got into, I found myself unabled to really concentrate. The only thing I did notice was each time they started on a new letter. My shaking was growing violent as my turn to get Sorted was approaching. M... N... O. -

"Potter, Emerald." The teacher called out. I think her name was McGonagall.

I could've sworn that my heart stopped for a second, but luckily so did the shaking. I pushed myself through the crowd and slowly, but steadily, I walked over to the stool. From the teachers table I could feel someone staring at me, so I let my eyes look up for just a second. What met me was a pair of pitch black eyes. They looked so mysterious that I found it hard to look away. The eyes were sucking me in. And the owner looked just as mysterious as his eyes. I turned my back to the teachers table and sat down onto the stool. Soon after, the Sorting hat was placed upon my head. It was embarrassing really, seeing that the hat almost covered my head completely.

" _Ah, a Potter, huh? And a female one! I've been waiting for this day. So alike, but also so different from your parents and family. Brave, intelligent, loyal, cunning, but where to put you? Ah, not Hufflepuff, no, certainly not there. Not Gryffindor either, but where then? Aha, I see! You like being alone. Not many understand you. Working hard to reach your goals no matter what. Well, better be_ :  SLYTHERIN!"

My heart sank, but I put on a smiled anyway. Professor McGonagall removed the hat from my head and I quickly headed towards the cheering Slytherin table. I sat down next to a boy that looked about 2 or 3 years older than me, and he made me feel kinda safe. I couldn't really place the feeling. I was the first Slytherin girl to be Sorted that year, but I was soon followed by 3 other girls: Mira, Joan and Alexandra. As the feast itself started I couldn't help but smile. Sirius would probably have killed me by now if he knew that I had ended up in Slytherin. Once again I noticed the mysterious teacher staring at me, and I let myself meet his eyes a couple of times. In the end the curiousity got the best of me, and I turned to the boy next to me for help.

"Excuse me, Marcus?" He looked up at me with a smirking face, and I noticed that he had pretty messed up teeth.

"Yeah, kid?"

"Who's the black haired man sitting next to professor McGonagall?" I asked uncertain, trying to keep the nervousness out of my voice.

"Oh, that's professor Snape. He's the potions professor, and head of our house. You'll quickly see that he favors us. Just -" Marcus stopped "-make sure you're on his good side, will ya? We don't need another lecture about that."

I nodded quietly, once again looking up into the face of professor Severus Snape. Why did I have the strange feeling that I had seen him somewhere before?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited and finally done for you to read :3  
> Please comment what you think! I always love getting feedback <3


	3. Chapter 3

_ _ Screaming. Scrambeling through the hallways. I tried orientating myself, but I couldn't see anything under the sea of people. A womens evil laugh. Flashes of green - _ _

 

My eyes snapped open, sweat streaming down my face. At first I was confused as to where I was, but suddenly all the memories of the night before came back to me. I was a Slytherin. Me. Daughter of James and Lily Potter. Sister of The-Boy-Who-Lived. A Slytherin! How was that even possible? My stare turned over to the clock, which was luckily straight in front of me. It was early, very early, but not too early to get up, I decided in the end. The other girls were all still fast asleep, showing no signs of waking up anytime soon. I didn't really care. They hadn't been very nice to me the night before, just because I was a half-blood...  
I climbed out of bed, the coldness of the room hitting my feet immediately. The fact that the Slytherin dorms laid only barely over the surface of the lake made the whole room look gloomy and a bit spooky. I headed over to the bathroom to get dressed. Even though it was a weekend, I decided that I wanted to wear my school uniform. Walk it in before school started. Luckily the bathroom floor was much warmer than the dorm had been, so I was able to relax as I put on my shirt, skirt, socks and tie. My hair had stayed flat for once, so all I had to do was to put it up in a ponytail. I caught a flash of my own reflection in the mirror, and I could've sworn that I could see someone else in there too. My body stopped, and I took another look into the mirror. No. It was just me in there. Must've been the light.

 

I had heard from dad and Sirius that the Slytherin common room was a very cold and dark place. That was the reason why I had been so shocked the night before when we first entered it. The common room was actually very comfortable, even more so when there were no one around. I might have accepted that I was to be a Slytherin, but I didn't quite enjoy being around the others just yet. Most of them gave me strange looks. Some of hatred and others of disgust.   
The fact that I managed to walk all the way from the common room to the Great Hall without getting lost made me smile. I made a mental note to try and figure out the way around the castle before classes would start Monday, just as I entered the Great Hall. There wasn't a lot of students in the hall, mostly teachers and some of the older students. Almost immediately I noticed that professor Snape was among the teachers up at the teacher's table. Rapidly I walked all the way over to the end of the table, the end closest to the teachers table, before I sat down. I didn't want to be passed by half the school. The fact that I was all alone and had no friends had never been more obvious than in that single moment. My insecurities was probably all over the place.

 

Halfway through my breakfast I noticed that more and more of the rest of the school had started to appear. Many of them, I figured, were some of my new classmates. None of them spared me another glance, however, so I continued to eat the rest of my food without looking up from the table. The excited chatter became louder and louder, making my head throb slightly. I knew that it would take plenty of time for me to get used to that. It wasn't until I heard a pair of footsteps approaching that I let my eyes return upwards.

"Miss Potter." It was him. Professor Snape. His voice soft as velvet as he spoke. "Welcome to Slytherin." He whispered with a small smirk, putting pressure on each word. I smiledback at him, nodding my thanks. The professor then handeled me my timetable for so to carry on down the table. I couldn't help but notice that he had been much nicer and direct with me than all the others after me.

  
  


 

 

** _*Later that day*_ **

  
  


 

"Potter! Hey, Potter!?" Joan yelled at me from the other side of the courtyard.

I tried ignoring the gang as I walked past, keeping my head held high. I didn't want to let myself show any emotions, knowing just how mean they could be.

"How's your filthy mudblood of a mother doing, Potter? Is it true that she's a slave for the higher pureblood community?"

Inside of me I could feel something snap. Before I could stop it, a tear escaped my eye and slid down my cheek. My heart sank, hoping that they hadn't seen it, but of course they had.

"Ooooo, little Potty baby crying!" Alexandra laughed out with a snort, the four others echoing behind her.

I tried to walk away, but they just followed me, mocking my every move. Desperately I looked about in search of someone. Who, I didn't know. A teacher or maybe a prefect even. I knew only they would stop them.

“Not gonna answer either now, huh Potty?” One of the boys, I think his name was Timothy, screeched, before he spit after me.

Once again I tried to walk away, when suddenly two older boys grabbed me by my ponytail and hurled me down towards the ground, which I hit with a great tud. The tears came down on me like a small waterfall, and I could do nothing to stop it. I could barely see because of them, but I felt every blow those boys threw at me, crying as they beat me up. Screaming for help. Nobody came. After all, I was just a half-blood in Slytherin to them. Nothing more.

  
  


 

 

 

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

When the Slytherins were done they left me broken in the courtyard. Everything hurt, and I couldn´t get up. Why couldn´t I get up? Why on earth had they done this to me? What had I done to deserve it?

These questions just kept on coming as I lie there. My throat hurt from all the screaming and crying, and my eyes were so blurry that I could barely make out shadowy shapes. And my head throbbed. Like crazy too! All in all, I felt like I was in a small bubble of pain and loneliness. For a while this was all I could feel, until the fear and anxiety arrived, and with it came also the desperation.

  
I tried in pure desperation to get up once again, fighting my own body and instincts to at least fake some strenght, but of course failed miserably. I really did not want to still be around when or if they decided to come back. I was so tangled up in my own head that I did not hear the footsteps approaching, so quiet and careful. Out of nowhere I felt something cold touch my cheek, and strangly enough I found myself leaning into it. A soft cry unwillingly escaped my lips only seconds later when the hand and also the coldness disappeared. I felt so weak, and I could feel myself slipping away slowly because of my now "paralyzed" senses. It was quite a shock for me when that person carefully lifted me up in his or hers arms and carried me away. Just before I let myself slip into the darkness, I managed to groggily make out a pair of black, onyx eyes watching over me.

 

 

**_A few hours later_ **

 

 

Cold. Something very cold and damp had been placed on my forehead. The pain had been eased slightly, but it was still there, nibbing at me constantly. Everything was so unfamiliar. The strong smell of dust and what seemed like potions ingrediences filled my nostrils, almost overwhelming me.Where was I? Several times over I tried to open my eyes. I wanted to get at least the slightest glimpse of the room I was finding myself in. Not having my eyesight at my disposition made me feel disorientated and panicky. It made me aware suddenly of the cruciating headache I was having. If it had been there all along I did not know, nor did I care.

I let out a soft whimper as time passed, as I slowly became aware of all the pain erupting throughout my body. It could´ve been seconds or minutes. I couldn´t tell. Time felt unreal to me. I heard movement to my far right, and then a pair of quick footsteps, approaching where I was lying. I felt a pair of eyes on me through my eyelids. Probably checking my injuries, I managed to conclude. A cold hand touched my cheek briefly,and the cloath on my forehead was removed. Dripping of water, and then it was back. By then I had entirely given up on opening my eyes, so my full focus was getting my hands to move. Luckily I could feel my fingers slowly respond, one after the next, moving achingly. After a while I could move my entire hand. Never once did the person stop watching me. I could feel it. The stare. It created goosebumps across my arms and back.  
  
I must´ve been gaining my strength for a long time before I managed to get enough to control my arms, since it all left me close to exhaustion at the end. The feeling of weakness crept upon me, sending waves of uncontrollable shaking down my body. I loathed that. Uncontrollable. At last my arms found the strength to lift themselves up to my face, placing my palms firmly there. My hands felt almost cold against my burning skin!

 

"I do not think it is very, wise, of you to move too much straight away, Miss Potter."

 

I knew right away who had come to my aid. Who had taken care of me, and who was now standing at my side to make sure that I didn´t do anything stupid. You´d have to be brain dead not to. With a voice that sounded more like a croak than anything else, I replied.

 

"Where am I? What day is it?" I paused, but continued in a panicky, small voice "Did I miss any classes?" 

 

The man chuckled quietly at my side.

"So alike your mother, always worrying about school..." I could hear him whisper. I wasn´t so sure if he was talking to me at all. Soon after he picked up his voice again. "It has only been about, 12 hours, since I discovered you in the courtyard, miss Potter." he paused. "And I would say, if you behave and move quietly." he put pressure on the last word. "You can leave in only a few hours."

 

"How -" I started.

"They are not too bad. I will let you see when you are strong enough to open your eyes."

 

I nodded weakly, shocked over the fact that he knew what I was going to say before I even said it. Once again I got that feeling that he knew me better than he let on, somehow. It didn´t really make any sense to me.

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

 

**Chapter 5**

 

 

Overall my injuries weren't that bad. At least they didn’t look that bad the next day, on Sunday, when professor Snape handed me a hand mirror for me to overlook them. I had a nasty gash across my nose, but because of some wicked cream it was less visible now, and I had bruises that were strikingly purple on my paleish skin around my chest, abdomen and arms. Still, according to professor Snape, I had had 4 broken ribs and a very injured arm, but a couple of potions had soon fixed that up. At least I would be able to cover up most of the damage. He had let me out of his chambers hours before breakfast, letting me slip back into the Dormitories unnoticed.

I held my head down at breakfast that day, avoiding any eyes that might think to find mine. Once again I sat at the end of the table, close to the teachers, knowing that no one would dare to hurt me there. I was nervous, jumping at any sudden movement or a too loud noise in the Great Hall. I couldn't help it. I tried to make myself disappear, which luckily wasn't that hard, seeing that I was so small and tiny. Regularly I would look up at professor Snape, and discover that he was watching me. Somehow that really reassured me.

After breakfast I continued my exploring of the castle, taking the risk of getting hurt again. To me, knowing the castle and not make a fool out of myself on the first day of school, was much more important than my physical health. Besides, I knew that they would have to pay gravely if they dared to do it again. At least if professor Snape found out.

I didn't really meet that many students while walking the huge castle. Twice I found myself nearly entirely lost, but thankfully I would spot a teacher or prefect after a good while, and just followed them till I recognized the hallways again. Once I even asked a portrait for directions, and ended up getting more facts about the castle and secret hallways than I ever would've gotten without it.  All in all it was a very peaceful day. No one came to bother me, and I got plenty of time to think things over. The back of my eyes stung each time my thoughts drifted to the attack, but I pushed the tears back every time. I knew I had to be brave, even though my school house did not require that certain trait. Being anything less than brave would be a betrayal to my family and upbringing.

I accidentally missed lunch and dinner, being too caught up in the many hallways of the castle to keep an eye on the time. At first my belly growled in distaste a couple of times, but of course I ignored it. In reality the attack had left me with a much smaller appetite than usual, so it didn't feel all that bad to go to bed without the delicious food. The thought of all that extra alone time just made me grin to myself. I would need it to be ready for the next day, my first actual day of school.

****  
  


 

**The next day**

****  


 

I didn’t have to travel far out of my bubble for my first class, since it was Potions with Professor Snape. I went to breakfast bright and early, my book bag all set for my morning classes. I ate as much as I could manage to keep down in my nervous state, and was the first one to wait outside of the Potions classroom. I was so nervous I felt like throwing up, more over the fact that this class was with the Gryffindor’s, our rival house. The waiting, of course, didn’t help much at all. Mentally I kicked myself hard again and again for getting there so early, but there wasn’t really much I could do about that. The other’s came around eventually. Mostly my fellow Slytherin classmates at first, but eventually came the Gryffindor’s too, with their loud talking and fooling around. I couldn’t help but to look longingly over at their groups, knowing very well that I could’ve been on the other side of the hallway, with entirely different people, had things been slightly different. Still, I looked at them in distaste too, because deep down, even if I wasn’t ready to admit it yet, I wasn’t like them. I wasn’t loud and impulsive and foolish or brave for that matter. I preferred the silence over noise and I was more of a over-thinker than impulsive.

I kept an eye on my pocket watch constantly, counting down to the time when classes would officially begin. And I was happy that at 8:50, I spotted Professor Snape striding down the hallway towards us, his robes bellowing behind him. Some of the Gryffindor’s cowarded visibly as he approached, and I couldn’t help but grin at their foolishness.

Once in the classroom, I sat down in the front alone. The Slytherin boys sat down on the row behind me, and my fellow female Slytherin’s sat down in the row after that. An empty row seperated us from the Gryffindor’s, who occupied the back. Some of them were still chatting quietly with each other, even though Professor Snape had positioned himself in front of his desk, giving them a cold stare. I checked my watch again. It was 9:00 exactly.

With a wave of his wand, the classroom door slammed shut, leaving a nervous silence in the room. He then began by taking the register. I noticed after a while that most of the people in the room was actually pure-blooded, even if only the ones in Slytherin was really proud of that at all. I recognized most of the last names, only a few were new to me.

“You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making.” professor Snape began after a while. “In this class there will be no foolish wand-waving, and many of you will hardly believe this is magic at all. I don’t expect you to understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses … I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even stopper to death. That of course, remains to be seen.”

Only silence followed his speech. I had a quill and paper prepared, writing down what he was saying, sucking it all up like a sponge. Professor Snape began asking questions, mostly directed towards the Gryffindors in the back, about more complicated potions making. Even I couldn’t answer all of his questions, even though I had read the book several times over the summer. I only hoped that remembering these things would get easier as we began making actual potions.

Of course, Professor Snape soon set us off to do just that. We were supposed to pair up. I just sat still in my chair, not daring to move even an inch. Who was I supposed to pair up with? No one in the room liked me.

“And why, miss Potter, have you not paired up with someone?”

I swallowed, looking up carefully at professor Snape, who was hovering over me. I tried to come up with a good reason for him, I really did, but nothing would come out, so I let my eyes drop, ashamed.

“Mr Darthmoth!”  
  


“Yes, sir?”  
  


“Pair up with miss Potter.”  
  


“Yes, sir.”

I turned around in my seat, looking astonished at the boy sitting behind me. He was collecting his books and equipment. His friends was sending him looks, which luckily he didn’t return. He even smiled slightly at me as he sat down to my left.

“So, cure of boils, huh?” he asked, collecting the ingredients we were supposed to use.  
  


“Yes, I guess so. Have you ever made a potion before?”  
  


“Not really. How about you?”  
  


“Never by myself, no.”

Making the potion went pretty great actually. We both read the instructions several times before actually starting, and switching tasks occationally. One always keeping an eye on the cauldron, the other one readying the ingrediences. When it was done, it didn’t quite have the correct colour that it was supposed to, but at least we hadn’t had any complications like most of the class.

Professor Snape deemed it the best first try in the class, and let the two of us leave 10 minutes before anyone else. Two of the cauldron’s had almost melted, and several had spilled lots of acidic potion on the floor or tables. Most had to stay to clean up.

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch your name.” I said in a small voice. We had just entered the entrance hall.  
  


“Oh, I’m Teagan. I’m sorry, I’m not really supposed to be around you. My family is on a thin tread in the community already.”

“That’s okay. You do what you gotta do. I’d be happy if you stayed my Potions partner, though. You could always say that professor Snape made you.”

He nodded, smiling slightly. I smiled too, knowing that I might not have a friend just yet, but at least I had an assosiate, and he seemed nice enough.

“So, Charms?” he began.

I only nodded.

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN THE POTTER UNIVERSE OR ANY OF THE ORIGINAL CHARACTERS! THEY ALL BELONG TO OUR DEAREST J.K. ROWLING :3  
> 


End file.
